Top mergers and acquisitions firms

Business The U.S. toy industry looks set for a flurry of mergers and acquisitions between smaller toy makers in the aftermath of the Toys 'R' Us bankruptcy, as they seek more scope and negotiating power with big box retailers Target and Walmart . 17 May 2018 01:50AM Bookmark REUTERS: The U.S. toy industry looks set for a flurry of mergers and acquisitions between smaller toy makers in the aftermath of the Toys 'R' Us bankruptcy, as they seek more scope and negotiating power with big box retailers Target and Walmart .Smaller toy companies that traditionally relied on Toys 'R' Us as a launch platform to sell and promote products, say it is difficult to develop relationships with mass retailers, which now have the country's biggest toy departments.They say retailers are increasingly picky about allocating display space, preferring billion dollar well known brands like Mattel's Barbie and Hot Wheels and Hasbro's Marvel Superhero action figures."If you're a young brand, it's … [Read more...] about Toys ‘R’ Us demise could spur merger boom in US toy market

By Jennifer Pagliaro City Hall Bureau Tues., May 1, 2018 John Tory’s campaign team will be co-chaired by a Conservative and a Liberal stalwart with experience on Bay Street and political backrooms. Tory’s current principal secretary at city hall, Vic Gupta, and Toronto Community Housing (TCH) board member Vince Gasparro will helm his 2018 bid for re-election to the mayor’s seat, the Star has learned. The campaign period officially begins May 1. It’s not clear yet when Tory will register for the race. Gupta will be taking a leave of absence from Tory’s mayoral office, a source confirmed, and Gasparro stepped down from TCH’s board Monday ahead of the announcement expected Tuesday. Gupta landed the job in the mayor’s office after working on Tory’s successful 2014 campaign. The position was created specifically for him when Chris Eby, a senior campaign member, was picked for the top job of chief of staff. Gupta has … [Read more...] about John Tory’s campaign co-chairs mix of Liberal and Conservative veterans

Dealmaking is off to a hot start in 2018, with nearly $225 billion in mergers-and-acquisitions volume in January. Several ingredients are present that could keep M&A humming along, according to Lazard CEO Ken Jacobs. “Confidence levels in the boardrooms among CEOs is as good as I’ve seen it for a long time,” Jacobs told Business Insider Wall Street firms expected a hot start for mergers and acquisitions in 2018, and that’s exactly what unfolded in January. Many corporate boardrooms were in wait-and-see mode toward the end of 2017 with tax reform hanging in the balance. But with the new law in place at the beginning of the year, and a lot more cash for companies to play around with thanks to the slashed corporate tax rate and repatriation holiday, many analysts suspected a wave of deals was on the horizon. Here’s what materialized: Bacardi snapped up Patrón for $5.1 billion. … [Read more...] about Dealmaking is off to a scorching start — and one Wall Street CEO says it could just be getting started

Chen Tianqiao has placed one of the biggest wagers of his life. And it may finally be starting to pay off.Chen, through his Singapore investment firm Shanda Asset Management Holdings Limited, has accumulated a large stake in the struggling Tennessee company Community Health Systems. Between early 2016 when Chen first bought shares of the operator of acute care hospitals, and January of this year, the share price plummeted more than 80 per cent, from US$20 a share to below US$4.The Chinese billionaire is betting he can catch outsize returns on his investment in the distressed US health care provider when its share price improves. To make sure that happens, his investment firm stated last March it intended “to engage with (Community’s) management team regarding (its) business and operations and the status of the ongoing turnaround strategy.”This month, Community Health’s shares have staged a 37 per cent recovery, hitting US$5.50 this week. If the turnaround … [Read more...] about Billionaire’s Singapore investment firm takes gamble on distressed US firm, reflecting confidence of Chinese investors

Hong Kong – China’s large developers are tightening their hold on the country’s real estate market, capturing an ever-larger share even as sales growth is expected to slow and worries about debt persist.According to the US investment bank Citi, the top 10 China developers are forecast to achieve close to 35% market share this year, up from around 27% now.They held just 14.2% of the market in 2012.The number of developers posting more than 50 billion yuan in sales increased to 40 in 2017 from 25 in 2016, with sales growth of 53% to 84%, real estate developer CREIS said.The number of smaller developers, with sales between 10 billion and 50 billion yuan, fell to 104 from 106.And although the total number of home transactions is expected to drop about 5%, securities firms and rating agency analysts said Hong Kong-listed developers could see 30% sales growth on average this year, compared with an average of 40% growth in 2017.But the growth will not be without … [Read more...] about China’s top developers poised for strong sales as debt woes linger